Leader Knows Best
This story is a collab between Lilly, Nighty, and Misty. Hope you enjoy it! Chapter 1:Amberpaw (Lilly) He's so cool! But I know Emberstar won't have it, she's such a mousebrain... I think that Duskpaw likes him too. Wait, you don't know who I'm talking about? Smokepaw. It's always Smokepaw we talk about. Always him. He's the best fighter in the Clan, but I don't think he thinks that... he's so modest. I know you're going to say "Don't be ridiculous, Amberpaw, he's an apprentice!" but I don't care. His warrior ceremony's way overdue, I really hope they have it soon! I'm too embarrassed to tell him.... (Soz that it's short) Chapter 2:Smokepaw (Nighty) I hate my mom. She's always hanging over me, telling me what and what not to do, trying to live my life. My ''life, not hers. I really shouldn't be suprised, though, since she's Emberstar, BlazeClan's leader. My name is Smokepaw. I'm a gray tabby tom with orange eyes. Y'know, nothing special, just your average BlazeClan apprentice. Most of the Clan only really notices me because I'm Emberstar's son. Well, most of the Clan, save for Amberpaw and Duskpaw. We're always hanging out together, doing forbidden stuff and acting like awkward apprentices. It's nice to be actually recognised as something more than the leader's son who goes to Gathering with our neighboring Clan, MoonClan. They see me as a regular tom, who has flaws and is weird and crazy, and more than a bit awkward with the she-cats. Unfortunately, Emberstar doesn't see me the same way they do. In her eyes I'm like a shiny stone, something to be polished and shown off to all the other cats. To her I'm the example to set to all the kits, and the cat who does everything he's told to kindly and lovingly. To her I'm the cat who has to be absolutely perfect- and to her being absolutely perfect means staying away from Duskpaw and Amberpaw. "Smokepaw.." Her voice is low and warning as she sees me approach the two inseperable she-cats sitting at the fresh-kill pile. I flash her a glance and continue towards them. "Smokepaw.." Her voice is now a growl of disapproval. I, continuing to ignore her, sit down beside them, picking a vole for myself. Duskpaw smiles in her sweet, yet quiet, way. Amberpaw, who is more bold and outgoing, flashes me a toothy grin. I look back, my lips turning up into a sort of half-smile. "Hey guys," I meow. "Hi Smokepaw!" Amberpaw exclaims. She's got the loudest voice in the Clan, showing off her happy-go-lucky spirit. "Oh, hi Smokepaw," Duskpaw mews quietly, blinking rapidly as her gaze flashes from her mouse to me, and back to her mouse. I chew the vole's hind leg. Duskpaw resumes to stare at her mouse while Amberpaw bites a huge chunk from her squirrel. "Suh hows it guhin?" Amberpaw meows through her mouthful. I, hoping that translated to '''So how's it going?', ''nod. "Good, good. What about you guys?" "Guhd," Amberpaw mumbles, which I think translates to '''good'. "Uh.. good," Duskpaw meows, picking at her mouse. I continue to gnaw at the vole while Amberpaw sloppily chews her squirrel and Duskpaw nibbles her mouse, casting us into an awkward silence. Finally, of all cats, guess who breaks it? Emberstar. "Smokepaw, come on. It's time for training," she meows, although I can clearly tell that she means I want you away from those she-cats. ''Trying to look innocent, I bat my eyes at her. "But me and Ashdrift just trained this morning," I reply. Ashdrift is my mentor. "She wants to hunt with you," Emberstar quickly replies. "I've already hunted for the day." "She wants you to hunt for the queens." "We don't have any queens, mom." "Hunt for the elders, then. And hop to it. Ashdrift's waiting." I sigh, and make my way over to the camp entrance, turning back and waving my tail in goodbye to Amberpaw and Duskpaw. The wave their tails in reply, and I exit the camp. Oh, what fun it is to have Emberstar for a mother. '''Wow. I haven't written from a boy's POV for a long time. This'll be funn :D --'[[User:NightshimmerXD|'Nighty']] Chapter 3: Duskpaw (Misty) Duskpaw got up. "I think Bramblegaze needs me to go hunt." I told Amberpaw. She looked at me like she didn't believe it, but then I ran off. I think Emberstar was eying me the whole time, which creeped me out a little. When I got to the forest, I bumped in to Smokepaw by accident. "Hey Duskpaw! You got sent hunting also?" He asked. "Yeah." I purred. I ran off. Then I caught a mouse, two birds and a vole. Sorry it's so short! [[User:Mistybird|'I']] [[User talk:Mistybird|'♥']] [[User blog:Mistybird|'idk,something']] Chapter 4: Amberpaw (Lilly) Emberstar looked furious, honestly. She found me and Duskpaw spying on Smokepaw earlier... it was fun watching Smokepaw fight, but we'll be punished for it, I know we will. I feel a poke, and I turn around to see Duskpaw behind me. She looks a little distraught, well...I guess you'd be distraught if you'd just been caught spying on somebody you have a major crush on. I never really introduced myself, did I? I'm Amberpaw, an apprentice of BlazeClan. Normal and all, nothing like Smokepaw. He's amazing. But I don't really like his mother. I'd probably go as far as to say I hate Emberstar. Ginger she-cats always turn out mean, did you know that? I'm a golden she-cat with golden eyes. Yes, I'm all golden. Weird,that. I always do things that are forbidden, like a rebel, if that's the way you want to put it. Running off, meeting Smokepaw and Duskpaw behind trees. But I have one dark secret; but everyone knows. I have this huge crush on Smokepaw, the leader's son. Handsome orange eyes...sleek gray tabby fur.... I know Emberstar's always trying to get us away from him...I don't get why. Has she had an omen or something which means she has to keep us away from him. Nah. I don't think so, I think she just has a grudge against us. She's got eight lives left, but if I was evil enough to, I'd rip them all from her. But then, Smokepaw would never forgive me for that. And Duskpaw would never be my friend again. But then, I feel like I'm losing Duskpaw. We both have a crush on him... so this will, eventually,turn into a contest. And maybe even a fight... and I'm not a very keen fighter. I hate hurting my Clanmates, at least not over a tom. Would I fight Duskpaw for? Smokepaw?? ''I really didn't want to answer that. But my thoughts were interrupted by a sarcastic meow from behind me. "Do you think there's no more work to be done, Amberpaw?" The voice was Emberstar's. I lock my golden gaze with her green one. I seem to be the only cat that can look her full in the face. "No, Emberstar." I meow stiffly. "If you hadn't noticed, I'm? ''eating." Emberstar bristles. "Really? Then you can go and get more food. For the elders." Torture, usually. But she'd forgotten Smokepaw was hunting too. I race eagerly out, my tail streaming behind me, feeling Emberstar's confused gaze on me the whole time. Chapter 5:Smokepaw (Nighty) "Nice catch, Smokepaw!" I grin widely with the squirrel still in my mouth. I love it when Ashdrift praises me- it's a nice relief from being chided by your stiff-upper-lip mom all the time.? "Um, thanks Ashdrift," I reply, my voice muffled by the squirrel's sunset-orange fur. I drop the piece of prey and quickly dig a small hole in the ground, kicking the squirrel inside the little dip, and covering it back up with dirt. Suddenly, I hear the rapid rush of paws against dirt. I whip around, ears pricked, as a scent tickles my nose and I open my mouth to drink it in. My adrenaline stops coursing through me when I recognize the scent- it's just Amberpaw. She nearly runs into me. "Oh, hi Smokepaw," she meows quickly. "Sorry for almost running into you. I'm such a klutz," she says, giggling embarrassedly. I smile and pat her flank with my tail. "It's okay, I'm a bigger klutz than you are," I reply with a laugh. "Are you looking for Duskpaw, or did Emberstar-the-whackjob send you?" Amberpaw sighs. "The latter," she meows. "Where is Duskpaw, though?" I wave my tail towards a clump of trees ahead of me. "Hunting a vole over there," I reply nonchalantly. Amberpaw purrs her thanks and dashes off towards the trees. Curiosity flares in my chest.? What are they doing?? ''I wonder. Oh, boy, wouldn't I like to find out. But that would be snooping. And if Emberstar finds out that I was snooping on two she-cats that she? ''hates,? ''oh, I'd be in for it. I snort.? ''She's ruling my life, again. I'll snoop on them just to spite her.? ''I creep over towards the swatch of dense forest that stands out amongst the typical scrubby BlazeClan greenery, which is actually more brown than green. Keeping my body low to the ground, I finally reach the trees and quickly hide behind a yew bush when I hear Amberpaw and Duskpaw talking. My ears prick at their low chatter- something is wrong, because Amberpaw is never that quiet. Emberstar calls her a twoleg trapped in a cat's body.? "Isn't Smokepaw such a good hunter?" Amberpaw meows, her eyes lit with a dreamy light. My eyes widen and my ears prick more. "Yeah, he's so cool. But I don't even think he notices us," Duskpaw murmurs, her eyes glued to the ground. Amberpaw sighs and searches the ground with her. "Yeah. Emberstar's such a mouse-brain, keeping him away from us," she huffs. I'm surprised. They... think I'm a good hunter? The only reason I caught that squirrel was because it was fat, old, and probably lame. It moved slower than a dead mouse (which doesn't move very fast, let me tell you). It practically sat at my paws and begged me to kill it. They think I'm cool? I couldn't flirt with a tree stump, nonetheless two she-cats. "Smokepaw is such an awesome fighter. I hope I get paired for battle-training with him," Duskpaw mews, looking at the trees around her.? Amberpaw nods her agreement. "He could probably kill Scorchfang with one swipe!" Duskpaw stares at her, eyes wide. "Y'know, if he wanted to. He wouldn't of course, he's too noble for that." Scorchfang is our deputy, the strongest cat in the entire Clan. They're kidding. They have to be kidding. I couldn't make so much as a nick on a lame, deaf, blind, noseless, decrepit mouse, nonetheless the Clan's most feared and respected warrior? "And...he's so handsome." Now I'm officially, utterly shocked. How can I be? ''handsome? ''I take the prize for the Clan's least interesting pelt and the dullest eyes from here to Silverpelt. I have no idea what these cats see in me.? I slip out from behind the yew bush and dash away from the swath of trees. Do they really think that way about me? Chapter 6:Duskpaw (Misty) "Amberpaw!" I hiss. "What?" She asks. "Did you hear that?" She shook her head. "Well I'm going after it." I say. I follow the scent. I worry that it could be a rogue, or even a cat from another Clan. But I find out the worst part. It was Smokepaw. I gasp in suprise. He turns around. "What are you doing here?" He snaps. I narrowed my eyes. This doesn't seem like him. "Hunting." I simply reply. "Then where's you're prey?" He hisses. "Buried. Smokepaw. . . you don't seem like yourself today. Is something wrong?" I ask. "Leave. Get you're prey. Go back to camp." He orders. Now I know something is wrong. I stand there in silence. "I'm not leaving untill I find out what's wrong." I truthfully say. He glares at me. "Leave. Now." He says. I think to argue but it doesn't seem worth it. He'd get me in trouble before I could say mouse. I stare coldly at him. "At least come with me." I tell him. He ignores me. I run back to camp, my heart broken. Smokepaw, the cat I love, hates me. A/N Mwahahaha! Cliff hanger! 'The dawn of a new era beginsAs the Misty bird spreads its wings' Chapter 7:Amberpaw (Lilly) I look in shock at Duskpaw. "So, he hates us?" She nods glumly. "I might have to find a new tom." I'm having a party inside- because now I might have Smokepaw to myself. "But I don't think I can let go..." Duskpaw sighs, eyes dull with grief. "I really can't. You see, Amberpaw, I ''love ''Smokepaw. But I don't think he loves either of us, Amberpaw, I really don't." "Me neither." I admit, watching as the tom walks into camp. "But I love him." Emberstar stalks in, her nostrils flaring. "What in StarClan's name do you think you're doing?" "Uh-oh." Duskpaw pokes me. "It's ''her." Chapter 8:Smokepaw (Nighty) "Smokepaw, get over here!" My mom hisses at me. I sigh and pad over to her. "What, mom?" I reply annoyedly. She jerks her head in Amberpaw and Duskpaw's direction. "Those two lazy-bones didn't bring in any prey! They just went out for a little...I don't know, jaunt in the woods!" I open my mouth to defend them, but shut it again. I'm mad at them, remember? I tell myself. Okay, so I'm not actually mad at them. Just their conversation...it kinda shook me up. I take a deep breath and pad over to Amberpaw, trying to look angry. Her eyes light up and she opens her mouth to say something, but I interrupt her. "Did you catch any prey today?" I meow, trying to keep my voice cold. The light in her eyes dies and her lips turn under into a frown. "Umm...well...no, but--" "No 'buts'," I growl back. Hurt fills her eyes, and I can feel my cold appearance falter for a second. A look of sympathy slips towards her but I quickly catch it and resume my "you're in big trouble, missy" face. "I was going to, but the rabbit ran off!" she squeaked, wrapping her tail around her paws and licking her chest fur embarassedly. "That is no excuse for not catching at least something," I snarl. Pain fills her eyes and she looks like she's about to cry. That's when my stony expression slips--just long enough for her to notice. The pain is gone immediately and she smiles at me, getting up with a flourish. "Well, I'll try harder next time, Smokepaw," she meows, licking a paw and glancing up at me. My eyes soften and the stony expression is already long gone. I lick my chest fur embarassedly and blink rapidly. She giggles and flits past, her tail gently flicking my back. My heart throbs inside my chest. So I've got a crazy mom, two she-cats madly in love with me, and one who I have a major crush on. My life really ''does ''suck. Category:Mistybird's Fanfics Category:Lilly Lovegood(2)'s fanfics Category:Fan Fictions Category:Nighty's Fanfics